Aptamer loaded superparamagnetic beads for selective capturing and gentle release of activated protein C.

Activated protein C (APC) is a serine protease with anticoagulant and cytoprotective activities which make it an attractive target for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. In this work, we present one-step activation of APC from a commercial source of protein C (PC, Ceprotin) followed by rapid and efficient purification using an APC-specific aptamer, HS02-52G, loaded on MyOne superparamagnetic beads. Due to the Ca-dependent binding of APC to HS02-52G, an efficient capturing of APC was applied in the presence of Ca ions, while a gentle release of captured APC was achieved in the elution buffer containing low EDTA concentration (5 mM).

Prognostic Impact of Serum Free Light Chain Ratio Normalization in Patients with Multiple Myeloma Treated within the GMMG-MM5 Trial.

We investigated the prognostic impact of time-dependent serum free light chain ratio (FLCr) normalization in 590 patients with secretory multiple myeloma (MM) during first-line treatment within the German-Speaking Myeloma Multicenter Group MM5 trial. Serum free light chains (sFLC) were assessed by the Freelite test at baseline, after induction, mobilization, autologous blood stem cell transplantation, consolidation and every three months during maintenance or follow up within two years after the start of maintenance. The proportion of patients with a normal or normalized FLCr increased from 3.

Two γ-zeins induce the unfolded protein response.

The rapid, massive synthesis of storage proteins that occurs during seed development stresses endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis, which activates the ER unfolded protein response (UPR). However, how different storage proteins contribute to UPR is not clear. We analyzed vegetative tissues of transgenic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants constitutively expressing the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) soluble vacuolar storage protein PHASEOLIN (PHSL) or maize (Zea mays) prolamins (27-kDa γ-zein or 16-kDa γ-zein) that participate in forming insoluble protein bodies in the ER.

Storage, Utilization, and Disposal of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Products in Patients with Multiple Myeloma.

High-dose chemotherapy (HD-CHT) and autologous blood stem cell transplantation (ABSCT) represent the standard of care in multiple myeloma (MM) for transplantation-eligible patients. Up to 3 HD-CHT/ABSCT treatments may be administered during the course of disease, including during late-onset relapse. Transplantation centers routinely collect more than 1 peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) graft; however, subsequent HD-CHT/ABSCT treatments are often not performed, for various reasons.

Electron Accepting Units of the Diheme Cytochrome c TsdA, a Bifunctional Thiosulfate Dehydrogenase/Tetrathionate Reductase.

The enzymes of the thiosulfate dehydrogenase (TsdA) family are wide-spread diheme c-type cytochromes. Here, redox carriers were studied mediating the flow of electrons arising from thiosulfate oxidation into respiratory or photosynthetic electron chains. In a number of organisms, including Thiomonas intermedia and Sideroxydans lithotrophicus, the tsdA gene is immediately preceded by tsdB encoding for another diheme cytochrome.